"Less consumption": Germany on how to withstand without Russian gas

Germany may be able to cope with a boycott of Russian gas imports as soon as the coming winter, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told WirtschaftsWoche weekly on Thursday.

“If we have full storage facilities at the turn of the year, if two of the four floating LNG tankers we have leased are connected to the grid and if we make significant energy savings, we can to some extent get through the winter if Russian gas supplies collapse,” Habeck told WirtschaftsWoche.

He said everyone could play a part. “Less consumption is the be-all and end-all,” he said, adding that if industry and private individuals could reduce gas consumption by 10%, it would help avoid an emergency. He warned, however, that gas prices would increase further.

Germany has stepped up efforts to reduce its reliance on Russian energy supplies, but has so far said it expects to be largely dependent on its gas until some time in 2024.